The 62,000-acre Red Cliffs National Conservation Area is here, a breathtaking park situated at the convergence of a trio of distinct ecosystems: the Mojave Desert, Great Basin National Park, and Colorado Plateau. A four-minute drive from downtown St. George are desert tortoises, cholla cacti, and other species of plants and animals that don’t typically coexist. A breathtaking place to go mountain biking, hiking, or horseback riding, the reserve is just one recreational area that makes living in St. George so appealing. It ranked a whopping #7 in our Place category, in part because of its #28 spot for Parks and Outdoors. The city also made our top 10 for Weather (#9), #22 for Crime Rate (it’s lower than the state average), and #31 for Neighborhoods, some known for top-rated golf clubs (Green Springs) or for views of Big Red Mountain and lava flows (Snow Canyon). About two hours from Las Vegas and four from Salt Lake City by car, St. George ranked high on our overall Product Category, at #58. Connectivity played a role, it coming in at #53 with direct flights to places like Denver and Phoenix, and #34 for Convention Center Size: within the Dixie Convention Center is the Rosenbruch World Wildlife Museum. Looking ahead, up to 400 new jobs could arise with RS Technologies, Inc setting up a utility-pole manufacturing facility over the next seven years in an agreement worth $35-million with the Economic Development Corporation of Utah and the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development.